BRUNSWICK (Ger. Braunschweig). A duchy in the north of Germany, composed of three large and six small exclaves. It is bounded mainly by Prussian territory (provinces of Han over, Saxony, and Westphalia), with a total area of 1424 square miles (Map: Germany, D 2). The southeast part belongs to the region of the Ilarz Mountains, and rises in some places over 3000 feet. The northern portion is only slightly ele cated, and is mainly hilly. Brunswick belongs almost entirely to the basin of the Weser. The soil is mostly well cultivated and productive, due in great part to the division of the land into very small holdings.
Agriculture is the leading oecupation: over 50 per cent. of the total area is under tillage. Wheat, rye, oats, and barley are the chief cereals grown and potatoes, sugar-beets, and hay are important crops. Vegetables are cultivated ex tensively, and fruit-culture has developed rapidly under the encouragement of the State. Ca ttle raising is carried on only in connection with agri culture, but the live-stock returns of the duchy for the last few years show a very large increase. The mineral industries are important. Lignite, iron, asphalt. lead. and copper are the principal minerals, and the total annual output is about 25,000,000 marks ($5,950,000).
The manufactures of Brunswick are diversified. There are extensive sugar mills and refineries, cigar and cigarette factories, hat-factories, ma chine-shops, chemical-works of different kinds, glass-works, some weaving-mills, and a number of breweries. The main domestic exports are metals, textiles, hats, liquors, and building-stone. There are over 300 miles of railway lines. They belong largely to the Prussian State Railway system.
The Constitutional Government dates from 1830, although the Constitution was not adopted until 1832. As amended in 1899, it provides for one Chamber. composed of 15 members elected
by the towns, 15 by the rural communities. 2 by the Protestant clergy, 4 by the landed aristoc racy. 3 by the manufacturing interests, 4 by the professional classes, and 5 by the highest-taxed citizens. Members of the Chamber serve for four years. It is summoned every two years. Bruns wick has 2 votes in the Bundesrat and 3 repre sentatives in the Reichstag. The highest execu tive body is the Staatsministerium, divided into 5 departments. For purposes of local admin istration Brunswick is divided into 6 circles, ad ministered by directors. Revenue is obtained chiefly by taxation and by the exploitation of State domains. The budget is made up for a period of two years, the estimates for education not being embraced in the general budget. For 1901-02 the budget balanced, the totals being 17, 000,000 marks (nearly 84,000,000), exchiding the civil list of the Duke, 1,125.000 marks ($267.750). The public debt, not reckoning the premium loan contracted in 1869, and payable in annual instal ments by 1924. amounted in 1900 to 27,688.000 marks ((1,589.744), and was contracted prin cipally for railways.
Education is in the hands of a special com mission. The technological school in Brunswick, however, is under the immediate charge of the :Ministry. There are about 415 elementary schools, mostly in the rural districts, and a con siderable number of secondary and trade schools. The military forces of Brunswick are now com bined with those of Prussia, but are controlled to some extent by the Regent. In 1900 the popu lation—almost exclusively native and Protestant —was 464,251, showing 6.9 per cent. increase since the census of 1895. The capital is Bruns wick (q.v.). For the history of the duchy, see BRUNSWICK, HOUSE OF.